Power planer



y 3, 1969 J. F. ROODS 3,443,613

POWER PLANER Filed April 13, 1967 Sheet of 2 In mentor. John F Roads By @wW fittorng/ J. F. ROODS POWER PLANER May 13, 1969 Sheet Filed April 13, 1967 3,443,613 POWER PLANER John F. Rootls, Jefferson City, Mo., assignor to McGraw- Edison Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 630,663 Int. Cl. B27c N10 US. Cl. 145-4 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Structure for varying the cutter axis position with respect to the fixed work engaging surface and changing the depth of cut by varying the position of the work engaging gauge shoe.

This invention relates to planers and more particularly to means for adjusting a power planer and varying the depth of cut.

In a power planer it is desirable to achieve a unit that can be produced at a reasonable cost to make the device widely available to a public that may need or find such a device useful, but cannot justify a large expenditure for a specific purpose tool. Such a tool to be effective, must however, possess the same adjustability of the cutter to the work engaging surface that more costly devices possess and should also have a method of adjusting a work engaging gauge shoe to permit variation in the depth of cut. Further, such adjustments must be readily understandable and easily usable since it must be anticipated that such tools frequently find their way into the possession of individuals having limited experience and familiarity with power tools.

In the portable power planer of the present invention as shown in the embodiment described hereafter, the unit includes a shoe assembly presenting the work engaging surface and a housing assembly carrying the motor and cutter spindle which are pivotally interconnected to make the spindle adjustable with respect to the work engaging surface. Further, a depth of cut controlling gauge shoe is adjustable by releasing a single securing screw and indexing the gauge shoe.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved power planer that may be economically manufactured, readily understood and easily adjusted.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved structure for adjusting the cutter spindle of a power planer with respect to the work engaging surface.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a readily adjustable gauge shoe for varying the depth of cut.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the power planer of the present invention with the line cord broken away;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the planer of FIG. 1 with the handle partly broken away, the guide fence and closure plate removed, and portions shown in phantom view;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the planer of FIG. 1 with portions of the housing broken away; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevation similar to FIG. 2, partly broken away and partly in section.

Referring to the drawings, the power planer includes a shoe assembly 10 and a housing assembly 11 which are pivotally interconnected about a pin 13 which is held captive between the two assemblies in the assembled condition.

The shoe assembly 10 includes a body portion 14 with the rearward lower surface providing a work engaging United States Patent surface 15 defined by the planer upper surface 16 of the lands. A gauge shoe 19 is supported on a forward portion of the body 14 and presents a lower gauge surface 20 which defines a plane that is parallel to and vertically spaced from the plane established by the work engaging surface 15. The gauge shoe 19 and rearward work engaging surface 15 are separated by a cutter opening in which the cutter spindle 22 of the planer is received. A transverse generally V-shaped groove 24 is formed in the upper surface of the body portion and dimensioned such that when the cylindrical rod or pin 13 is disposed therein more than one-half of the peripheral surface of the rod projects above the groove opening. The rod 13 has an annular groove 25 which registers with a recess in the body portion which opens into the groove 24. A ball member 28 is carried in the recess and projects into the annular groove 25 of rod 13 to prevent axial movement of the rod relative to the body portion when the rod is retained in the groove. A guide fence 30 is removably mounted at the side of the planer by apair of screws 31 received in threaded bores in the planer body 14. The angle of the guide fence is regulated by adjustment effected when the wing nuts 32 are released. A similar pair of threaded bores are also provided at the opposite longitudinal side of the planer body to permit the guide fence to be installed along either longitudinal side. A closure plate 34 is secured by a pair of screws 35 over the cutter opening at the axial end of the spindle 22. When it is desired to plane flush to an adjoining vertical surface the guide fence 30 and closure plate 34 are removed. An operating knob 37 is mounted on a forward portion of the shoe assembly body portion.

As seen in the phantom view portion of FIG. 3 the body portion '14 presents a gauge shoe supporting surface which is defined by the end surfaces 40 of a series of bosses 41 and a margining edge surface 42 which has a pair of cylindrical recessed portions 43 and notched recesses 48. The gauge shoe 19 is a square having a lower work upper surface 45. At the mid-point of each gauge shoe upper edge surface is a generally rectangular embossment 47 which in the assembled condition engages the notched recesses 48 in the body portion to prevent pivotal movement between gauge shoe 19 and body portion 14. The gauge shoe 19 is secured to the body portion by a screw 50 which is received in a threaded bore in a boss formed as a part of the body portion with the head recessed above the surface 20 in the assembled and secured condition. A series of six embossments 52 are formed in the gauge plate 19 with the upper circular surfaces 53 defining a plane parallel to the upper surface 55 of the gauge plate and slightly vertically spaced thereabove. As shown in FIG. 3 the gauge plate upper surface 55 abuts the end surfaces 40' of the bosses 41 and the margining wall edge surface 42 to maintain the work engaging surface 20 of the gauge plate in a first spaced parallel relation with respect to the work engaging rear surface 15 of the body portion. When the screw is released sufficiently to permit the rectangular embossments 47 to disengage from the body portion grooved openings 48 the gauge plate may be rotated degrees and resecured. In this latter position the upper surfaces 53 of the embossments will register with and abut the end surfaces 40 of the bosses 41 and retain the gauge shoe in a slight spaced relation from the margining wall surface 42. In this condition the work engaging surface of the gauge shoe is slightly lowered as viewed in the upright operating position of the planar, diminishing the spacing between the parallel planes established by the gauge shoe work engaging surface 20 and the rear body portion work engaging surface 15.

The housing assembly 11 includes a motor housing portion 57 within which is carried the electric motor which drives the spindle; a spindle-bearing housing portion 58 in which a double ball-bearing spindle mounting is housed, which is not shown in detail; and a housing extension 59 through which the drive from the motor to the spindle 22 is effected. The spindle 22 is connected to the cantilivered spindle shaft extending from the spindle bearing. The spindle carries a pair of blades 82 secured thereto by bolts 82 and positioned by abutting engagement between the spindle flange 60 and the blade rear edge surface 61. 'The drive between the motor rotor shaft 62 and the spindle shaft 63 is effected by a toothed belt 64 which passes over and engages toothed pulleys 66, 67 respectively mounted on motor shaft 62 and spindle 63. Alignment of the toothed belt 64 is effected by a flange 68 on pulley 66 adjoining one side of the belt and a similar flange 69 on the pulley 67 which adjoins the opposite side of the belt. Secured to the housing by four screws 72 is an operating handle 73 through which is received the line cord 74 and whereon is mounted the onand-off switch 75. In the lower surface of the housing a generally V-shaped transverse groove 77 is formed which is dimensioned to cause a major portion of the peripheral surface of the rod to be exposed therebelow when the rod is received in the groove. Accordingly in the assembled condition as viewed in FIG. 4 when the surfaces defining grooves 24 and 77 engage the pivot rod a space exists between the confronting surfaces of housing assembly 11 and the shoe assembly permitting a pivotal adjustment between the two assemblies. The shoe assembly and housing assembly are secured to one another by a series of four bolts 80; 81 which have their heads recessed within the shoe body 14 and the shank threaded portions extending through bores in the shoe body portion and received in threaded bores in motor housing portion 57 of the housing assembly.

To achieve proper operation it is necessary that the spindle be adjusted so that the cylinder generated by the revolving cutting edges of the spindle cutter blades 82 is tangent to the plane defined by the work engaging surface of the shoe assembly. This is accomplished by adjusting the relative pivotal position of the housing assembly 11 with respect to the shoe assembly 10 about the axis of the pivot rod 13 to achieve desired position of adjustment. To lower the cutter spindle the bolts 8*!) rearward of the pivot axis are relaxed and the bolts 81 forward of the pivot axis are tightened to cause the spindle 22 to rotate clockwise (as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 4) about the axis of the pivot pin 13. Counter-clock-wise motion of the spindle 22 about the axis is achieved by relaxing the bolts 81 and more tightly securing the bolts 80.

The depth of cut is determined by the spaced relation between the plane determined by the work engaging surface 15 and the plane determined by the gauge shoe surface As seen in FIG. 2 the cutter blades in the correctly adjusted position generate a cylinder which is tangent to the extension of the work engaging surface 15 of the body portion and the vertical clearance between the work engaging surface 20 of the gauge shoe and the plane of the work engaging surface 15 determines the depth of cut.

By way of example, in the device shown when the gauge shoe 19 is secured to the body portion 14 in the position illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 the clearance between the work engaging surfaces and consequently the depth of cut is approximately 1 of an inch. When the gauge shoe is secured in the alternate position, that is where it is indexed 90 degrees from the position shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 with the circular boss surfaces 40 engaging the end surfaces 53 of bosses 52, the work engaging surface of the gauge shoe projects downwardly to halve the distance between the work engaging surfaces and thereby establish a depth of cut of approximately ,4 inch.

Although but one embodiment has been shown and described, it will be apparent that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable power operated planer comprising a shoe assembly having a work engaging surface with a transverse cutting opening and a transverse groove in an upper surface opposite the work engaging sunface; a housing having a transverse groove in a lower surface facing said shoe assembly; a rod engaged in the transverse grooves and being larger than the grooves to space the housing from the shoe assembly and permit thereby rocking movement of the housing relative to the shoe assembly about said rod; means preventing axial movement of the rod with respect to the shoe assembly; a spindle mounted on the housing to rotate about an axis spaced from and parallel to the rod, a cutter releasably secured to the spindle, and means including a motor carried by the housing for drivingly rotating the spindle and thus the cutter; and first and second adjustable securing means connecting the housing to the shoe assembly and disposed on opposite sides of the rod operable to accommodate adjustment of the housing relative to the shoe assembly and thus the cutter relative to the plane defined by the work engaging surface.

2. The portable power planer of claim 1 wherein said means preventing axial movement of said rod comprises a recess in said shoe assembly interconnecting said shoe assembly groove; an annular groove in said rod; and a rigid element projecting into both said recess and said annular groove.

3. The portable power planer of claim 1 wherein said shoe assembly includes a body portion, a gauge shoe forward of said cutter opening presenting a first work engaging surface, and a second work engaging sunface portion is disposed rearward of said cutter opening and said rod overlies said second work engaging surface portion, and further comprising selectively releasable securing means for interconnecting said gauge shoe with said body portion, first abutment surfaces carried by said body portion is confronting relation to said gauge shoe, second and third abutment surfaces on said gauge shoe arranged and disposed so that when said gauge shoe is secured in one position said first abutment surfaces engage said second abutment surfaces and when said gauge shoe is indexed degrees about a vertical axis said first abutment surfaces register with and engage said third abutment surfaces whereby relative spacing between planes determined by said first and second work engaging surfaces is varied.

4. A portable power operated planer, comprising a shoe assembly and a power assembly connected together; the shoe assembly having a body portion including a first work engaging surface and a plate having thereon a second work engaging surface, and the surfaces defining therebetween a transverse cutting opening; the power assembly having a housing, a motor and a rotatable cutter in the housing, and drive means connecting the motor to the cutter; said power assembly housing being secured to the shoe assembly body portion with the cutter being received in the cutter opening in general coplanar relationship relative to the first work engaging surface and means for adjusting the second work engaging surface to various non-coplanar parallel settings relative to the first work engaging surface on the side thereof toward the cutter to determine in each setting a depth of cut of the cutter, said adjusting means including means for releasably securing the plate to the body portion, and the plate having first and second abutment faces on its upper side opposite the second work engaging surface and the body portion having corresponding first and second downwardly disposed abutment faces, the faces being arranged and at specific relative heights so that the first faces engage at one operative position of the plate relative to the body portion and the second faces engage at another operative position of the plate relative to the body portion to change the spacing between the working sunfaces for each operative position.

5. The portable power planer of claim 4, wherein said releasable securing means comprises a bolt securing said plate to said body portion with the axis of said bolt being coincident with said axis normal to said second work engaging surface and said plate and said body portion include cooperating engaging means to prevent pivoting of said plate with respect to said body portion when" said plate is secured in either said first or second positions of securement.

6. The portable power planer of claim 4, wherein said second abutment face on the plate comprises a plurality of embossments which register with and engage said body portion second abutment faces when said plate is in said second position of securement and are out of register with said body portion second abutment faces when said plate is in said first position of securement.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,207,195 9/1965 Anton 145-4 1,410,554 3/1922 Dernbach 1454 2,600,859 6/1952 Drysdale 1454 ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner.

R. V. PARKER, JR., Assistant Examiner. 

